UCPN (Maoist) plenum set to okay leadership centered on chairman

REPUBLICA
KATHMANDU, July 21:The ongoing plenum of the UCPN(Maoist) is almost certain to unanimously endorse party Chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal´s proposal to adopt a model of leadership centered on the chairman and to demote the office bearers.

With the introduction of this model of leadership, all the office bearers and top leaders will become just central committee members.
The plenum became almost sure to endorse Dahal´s proposal as almost all the participants, who were divided into 16 groups, supported Dahal´s proposal during group discussions held Saturday. All the group leaders have already presented their reports at the meeting.

Dahal came up with the proposal not to retain any office bearers or the politburo as one of the options for settling the intra-party dispute that surfaced after Baburam Bhattarai quit the post of party vice-chairman.

Vice-chairman Narayan Kaji Shrestha and General Secretary Post Bahadur Bogati resigned their posts Saturday at a meeting of senior leaders, including coordinators and party state committee in-charges. They resigned after Dahal presented his proposal to adopt the model of leadership centered on the party chairman and do away with the office-bearers.

"Almost all the groups have supported the chairman´s proposal," said Onsari Gharti Magar, a central committee member.
According to Suk Bahadur Roka Magar, another CC member, the group leaders have termed Bhattarai´s resignation as out of context and harmful for the party.

"Some leaders from the Bhattarai and Shrestha factions also raised their voice against Dahal but no one has come forward demanding to put forth their own views," said Roka Magar. The group leaders had mentioned in their reporting that some leaders have expressed dissatisfaction with Dahal´s proposal, saying Bhattarai´s resignation was for the party´s benefit, he further informed.

Leaders close to the Dahal faction had voiced strong criticism of the resignation by Bhattarai, saying it was a ´farce.´ At the group discussion, they also said Bhattarai´s resignation made the party weaker.

The Dahal and Shrestha factions have been saying that the notion of a leadership centralized on the chairman was brought in just to make Bhattarai happy. But the Bhattarai faction has been arguing that the resignation was to set a new trend of sacrifice in the party.

Chairman Dahal had presented his proposal after Bhattarai declined to become ´senior leader´ of the party, keeping the office bearers intact.
"It is clear that the proposal was brought just to make Bhattarai happy," said Bishwa Bhakta Dulal, CC member and Tamsaling chief.

The group leaders are from the Dahal faction except Anjana Bishankhe of the Bhojpura state committee who is from the Shrestha faction. The other group leaders are Renu Chand, Seti-Mahakali, Suresh Pahadi, Bheri-Karnali, Jaga Prasad Sharma, Tharuwan, Tek Bahadur Basnet, Magarat, Hari Dahal, Tamuwan, Shrawan Yadav, Mithila, Hit Bahadur Tamang, Tamsaling, Shashi Shresth, Newa, Tanka Angbuhang, Limbuwan, Kumar Paudel, Kochila, Suresh Kumar Rai, Kirat, Shalik Ram Jamkattel from the group of sister wings and Yubaraj Chaulagain from the chapter in India.
from Republica